The pros and cons of every kind of shaving

As the old saying goes, there’s more than one way to skin a cat. And there’s more than one way to shave your face, too. The three most common methods are electric, straight edge, and cartridge shaving.

We’re going to break it down for you, so you can choose the very best method for you and your skin.

Straight Edge Shaving

PROS: Cheap, gives the closest shave possible, makes you feel like a badass.

CONS: Difficult to learn, even harder to master, most dangerous.

Straight-edge shaving is the complete opposite end of the spectrum from electric razor shaving, as it’s the most dangerous and difficult of the shaving methods. It’s tricky to learn how to use a straight razor or a safety edge razor, but once you do, fans of this method swear by it.

They praise the close shave it provides, as well as its ritualistic process.

IT’S NOT FOR YOU IF: You like shaving to be quick, easy, and painless.

Cartridge Shaving

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PROS: Easy, multiple blades provide a decent shave.

CONS:Cartridges are expensive and don’t last very long, multiple blades can irritate skin.

The kind of “happy medium” between electric shaving and straight-edge shaving is cartridge shaving. Instead of using the bare razor blades of straight edge, it uses multi-bladed razor cartridges.

The good news is that it’s pretty hard to cut yourself on these. The bad news is that sometimes the blades can cause irritation if you need to go over one area more than once, and they’re pretty expensive if you buy from your local drugstore.

IT’S NOT FOR YOU IF: You think shaving should be as cheap as possible.